hambruch



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. P. HAMBRUGH.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 352,054.- Patented Nov. 2, 1886. 233.].

n. PETERS PlwmLilhugrapher. Wiihlglon. D. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. P. HAMBRUGH;

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 352,054. I atented Nov. 2, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEINRICH FRIEDRICH HAMBRUOH, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INS TRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,054, dated November 2, 1886.

Application filed February 1'1, 1886. Serial No.192,228. (No model.) I

To 0. whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, HEINRICH FRIEDRICH HAMBRUOI-I, a subject of the German Emperor, and a resident of Hamburg, in the German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Music Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of musical instruments in which tunes are played mechanically by means of metal tongues or strings; and the object of my improvements is to produce such tunes by means of changeable sheets of card-board, metal, or other suitable material provided with perforations or projections. I attain this object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in combination with a musical box provided with a steel comb, the tongues of which are tuned.

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of the box. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof, partly in section, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 show details.

Similar letters refer to similar parts through out the several views.

A sheet, a, of metal, cardboard, or other suitable material, is provided, in conformity with the melody to be played,either with projections a, as shown in Fig. 6, or with perforations a, as illustrated by the other figures. This sheet a is placed upon a cylinder, 1), ro-

tated by hand or other convenient power.

Before the sheet a is arranged a series of bellcrank levers which touch with one arm, 0', the metal tongues 6, while the other arm, 0, is pressed by means of springs (1 toward the perforated sheet a, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

As often as the lever changes its position, either by dropping its arm 0 into a perfora tion, a of the sheet a, or when the arm 0 is raised by the solid part of sheet a, the nose 0 will touch the corresponding tongue, 6, thus causing the tongue 6 to sound. Each lever strikes the tooth of the comb to which it belongs in opposite directions alternately, and the projections or perforations of the sheet a are of such length that they only move the belcrank lever in one of the said directions each time the note is to be struck.

In some cases I dispense entirely with the pressing-spring d and substitute therefor a third arm, 0*, of the lever, this arm 0 being arranged in such a manner as to act in the opposite direction of the arm a, as illustrated by Fig. 5. As the points x and 00 of both arms 0 and c, are lying in different vertical planes, Fig. 7 two parallel series of perforations, (4*, must bearranged for each lever in the sheet a; but these perforations are to be placed in such a manner that when the point x drops into a perforation, a the point 00 must rest upon the solid part of the sheet a, thus producing a solid motion of the lever.

\Vhen the spring at is not used, the arm 0 will cause the arm 0 to strike a single note, and the said arm 0 may be placed either above or below the tongue 6. The arm 0 in Figs. 5 and 6 is a duplication of the arm a, which is here placed above the tongue. I

By using projections a, instead of perforations, as indicated in Fig. 6, these projections are to be placed in the same manner as the perforations; but when sufficient friction is obtained for the levers, either on their pivots or by using braking-springs, the projections may form but points. Instead of touching the tongues e,the noses 0 may also be brought in contactwith keys for moving the hammers of stringed instruments.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be per- .formed, I declare that what I claim is- In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a continuouslyrevolving cylinder, a tune-sheet placed upon the cylinder and provided with a series of projections or perforations, the sounding-tongues e, a series of .pivoted bellcrank levers interposed between the tune-sheet and the tongues, and the springs (1, bearing on the bell-crank levers, so

that they press against therevolving tunesheet and strike the said tongues in opposite directions alternately.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 11th day of January, 1886.

v HEINRICH FRIEDRICH IIAMBRUCH. Witnesses:

ALEXANDER SrnoH'r,

DIEDRIOH Parmesan. 

